Stay on point with fall’s new shoe trends

I’ve known many shoes in my day, but a pair of coral, calf hair mules with kitten heels and an exquisitely pointed toe remain my all-time favorites.I wore them everywhere for several years. I loved their...

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By
Georgea Kovanis
Posted Oct. 6, 2013 @ 12:01 am

I’ve known many shoes in my day, but a pair of coral, calf hair mules with kitten heels and an exquisitely pointed toe remain my all-time favorites.

I wore them everywhere for several years. I loved their color. I loved their texture. I loved that I’d gotten them from a huge sale at Banana Republic and no one else I know had a pair like them. Most of all, I loved them because they made my legs look longer and my feet look especially slender.

And then, like too many good things, my coral shoes wore out. They started balding, though I refused to acknowledge that fact until a well-meaning and very fashionable friend pointed to bare spots. Get rid of those shoes, she said.

I tell you this because after several seasons of rounded toe shoes, skinny shoes are back in all formats.

“Toe shape works the same way that necklines work. A V-neck is more flattering than a round neck. The same holds true for the shapes of toes,” says Gregg Andrews, fashion creative director for Nordstrom stores.

“What a pointed toe shoe can do for a woman’s leg is really tremendous because it does elongate the leg,” he says. “It works for women of any age and any figure. You can do it from a very high stiletto to a kitten heel to a flat.”

And if you can buy only one pair of pointed toe shoes this season, go for a pump, which is the ultimate in versatility.

“You can wear it with jeans, you can wear it with a pencil skirt, you can wear it with a fit and flare dress,” Andrews says. “There’s something about the femininity of a pointed-toe pump that works with almost everything. You could throw on a leather biker jacket and some jeans and throw on a pump and you automatically have this juxtaposition that’s really stylish. You can throw it on with a very feminine dress and it just heightens femininity. There’s a reason why it’s considered classic. It’s a very clean line. They tend to have that slimmer heel, which tends to be really flattering to the back of [the] calf.”

Now let’s go shopping.

Pointy Mary Jane. A grown up twist on the schoolgirl classic, the Agalia Patent Bow Mary Jane Pump by Isaac Mizrahi New York is $135 at vonmaur.com and at macys.com.

Pointy bootie. The Marshha Bootie from Steven by Steve Madden in cozy burgundy nubuck is $168.95 at nordstrom.com.

Pointy pump. The Academy Colorblock Point Toe Pump by Reed Krakoff features patent, smooth and grained leather for texture and is a real splurge. $595 at neimanmarcus.com.

Pointy, pointy flat. Made to resemble a patent leather taxi, the Go Taxi pointed toe flat from Kate Spade New York is great for a woman on the go. Price: $278 at neimanmarcus.com, katespade.com, saks.com.